University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Behavioral Ecology Group (BEG)

Contact: Mike Sheehan

This is a group of professors and graduate students from EEB, Psychology and Anthropology who are interested in behavioral ecology and animal behavior. We meet to discuss papers every other week, with a member of the group presenting research ideas or results on the weeks in between.

E-mail user group: behavioralecology@umich.edu

Evo Devo Discussion Group - not being held winter 2012

Contact: Miriam Leah Zelditch

This is a group of professors and graduate students from EEB, Psychology and Anthropology who are interested in behavioral ecology and animal behavior. We meet to discuss papers every other week, with a member of the group presenting research ideas or results on the weeks in between.

Evolutionary Genetics Discussion Group

Contact: Joe Coolon

The Evolutionary Genetics Discussion Group (Evol-Gen) is a group of professors, postdocs and graduate students from various departments that share an interest in evolutionary genetics (everything from population genetics to molecular evolution). We meet every other week with one person leading the discussion of new literature or recent results from their lab. Anyone with an interest in evolutionary genetics is encouraged to attend.

NEW! Morphometrics Discussion Group

Contact: Miriam Leah Zelditch

Measuring phenotypic responses to climate change. Numerous studies of the past four decades of climate change have documented shifts in ranges (upwards or polewards) and in reproductive timing (phenology). Because whole communities do not typically shift their ranges or phenologies in concert, even populations that track their thermal environment may experience rapid and dramatic changes in their biotic environment. How morphologies adapt to environmental change, both climatic and biotic, is understudied. There is a body of theory suggesting that constraints (both demographic and genetic) may limit adaptations to rapid environmental change. The objective of this discussion group is to examine past episodes of climate change in light of that theory as well as to examine predictions about how complex morphologies are likely to evolve in response to ongoing climate change. Last semester we began collecting data to examine those responses; anyone joining the discussion this semester is welcome to contribute to these analyses. In addition to the discussions, informal lectures on morphometric methods, focusing on the statistical analysis of shape data, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Room 1532 Ruthven Museums.

New World Agriculture and Ecology Group

Contact: John Vandermeer

NWAEG is made up of faculty and students from various departments who share an interest in agroecological, political, and economic issues of importance in the western hemisphere, although issues of global interest are occasionally dealt with. Meetings are held once a week and feature presentations and/or discussion of readings, followed by a social hour. Other activities that the group engages in typically focus on education and outreach, and range from writing letters to journals and newspapers, to designing and teaching a minicourse on a topic not addressed by existing courses.

Email user group: nwaeg@umich.edu

Plant Ecology Discussion Group

Contact: Deborah E. Goldberg

Also known as PEDG or pedagogue, meets weekly to talk about current research, both from the literature and by members of the group. It is an excellent forum to discuss all stages of research, from initial half-baked ideas to practice conference presentations or critiques of a manuscript draft. The range of topics depends on the interest of the group and (despite the name) is not limited to plant ecology.

Tropical Ecology and Evolution Reading Group (LOTS)

Contact: Robyn Burnham

Also known as LOTS (Lianas and Other Tropical Stuff). This group meets weekly to discuss articles, manuscripts, and occasionally research carried out by one of the group's members, generally on climbing plants but topics vary (tropical plant ecology, New World tropical biogeography, paleobotany, systematics and plant morphology). Open to faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates.

CTools site established each term. May be taken for credit (EEB 800) or joined without credit.

In order to join the above e-mail user groups visit http://directory.umich.edu/. You need to login using your uniquname and password. Select "bind" to make changes. Now click on your uniquname in the upper-right-hand-corner. Your entry should appear. Then press group memberships and a list of the user groups to which you belong will appear. Click Add, and enter the name is it appears above in the top box. Click your uniquname to return to your profile. The name of the user group should now appear.